http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2007/03/20/behind-the-scenes-at-the-next-4-billion-yesterday Comments for "Behind the Scenes at "The Next 4 Billion" Yesterday" en http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2007/03/20/behind-the-scenes-at-the-next-4-billion-yesterday#comment-10829 I love the way they are fighting poverty without the help of government and taxation. I think it's great. Thanks for posting this! You might like the <a href="http://forums.millionsofmouths.com">Hunger, Poverty, & Homelessness Forums</a>.<br class="clear" /> Tue, 20 Mar 2007 18:36:14 -0400 Hunger Blogger comment 10829 at http://www.nextbillion.net http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2007/03/20/behind-the-scenes-at-the-next-4-billion-yesterday <p style="padding: 5px; float: right;"><img src="http://www.nextbillion.net/files/images/TN4B Launch Panel.jpg" alt="" title="" class="image img_assist_custom" width="250" height="132" /></p>The launch of our <a href="http://www.wri.org/business/pubs_description.cfm?pid=4142"><em>The Next 4 Billion: Market Size and Business Strategy at the Base of the Pyramid</em></a> report yesterday triggered a number of thoughts and conversations about how forces are starting to align in support of market-based approaches to alleviating poverty. First, the standing room only crowd in the large auditorium of the International Finance Corporation (private sector arm of the World Bank), largely from NGOs and development agencies, says something about the appeal of finding private sector “solutions” to improve conditions at the base of the pyramid. <br /><br />Second, the hunger for hard data on BOP markets and opportunities—the essence of the report—among both large agencies and large companies was palpable. As <a href="http://www.globalinsight.com/AnalystBio/AnalystBioDetail191.htm">Nariman Behravesh</a> of Global Insight put it, there is a market for the data, because no one has had any comprehensive picture of the BOP until now. Over lunch, Mattia Romani of the <a href="http://www.shell.com/home/Framework?siteId=home">Shell</a> strategy group explained that, to a senior manager trying to decide which projects to green light for capital investment, the existence of data such as that in <em>The Next 4 Billion</em> could make all the difference. <a href="http://staff.wri.org/Jonathan-Lash-bio-75.html">Jonathan Lash</a>, WRI’s president, shared a similar experience from a recent Board of Directors meeting of an investment company—who, hearing about the report, were almost desperate to get copies. Our corporate underwriters are also anticipating the detailed briefings we have promised them on the data.<br /><br />(This post continues past the break; click &quot;Read More&quot; to continue)<br /><br class="clear" /><p><a href="http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2007/03/20/behind-the-scenes-at-the-next-4-billion-yesterday">read more</a></p> http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2007/03/20/behind-the-scenes-at-the-next-4-billion-yesterday#comment Strategy Successful Models The Policy Agenda TheNext4Billion Tue, 20 Mar 2007 14:52:16 -0400 Al Hammond 3912 at http://www.nextbillion.net